Make-Out with Violence (2008)

A genre-bending tale of a boy trying to fulfill his unrequited love for a girl who has risen from the grave.

Directors:

Deagol Brothers, Andrew Duensing (as The Deagol Brothers)

Writers:

Deagol Brothers, Cody DeVos

Stars:

Brett Miller, Shellie Marie Shartzer, David Fuqua

7 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brett Miller	...	Beetle Darling
Shellie Marie Shartzer	...	Wendy Hearst
David Fuqua	...	Guru
Zach Duensing	...	Hunter #1
Gail Sparks	...	Hunter #2
Mike Luckett	...	The Trespasser
Cody DeVos	...	Carol Darling
Eric Lehning	...	Patrick Darling
Jack Doyle	...	Mr. Darling
Jordan Lehning	...	Rody Carrigan
Patricia Doyle	...	Mrs. Carrigan
David Mead	...	Mr. Carrigan
Leah High	...	Addy Greer
Sharon Jones	...	Chaperone
Dale Rainey	...	Janie Carlise

Storyline

A genre-bending tale of a boy trying to fulfill his unrequited love for a girl who has risen from the dead. It tells the story of twin brothers Patrick and Carol Darling, newly graduated from high school and struggling to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of their friend, the bright and beautiful Wendy Hearst. When a drive through the countryside surrounding their suburban community leads to the discovery of Wendy's mysteriously animated corpse, the boys secretly transport the un-dead Wendy to an empty house in hopes of somehow bringing her back to life. As the sweltering summer pushes on, they must maintain the appearance of normalcy for their friends and family as they search for ways to revive the Wendy they once knew, or, failing that, to satisfy their own quests for love amongst the living and the dead.

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Plot Keywords:

love | twin | unrequited love | summer | high school | 

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Taglines:

Dead is the present tense

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Composer Jordan Lehning wrote 70+ songs for the film over the course of four years from 2004 to 2008.

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Goofs

As Rody walks home during his introduction his shoes change from shot to shot.

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Quotes

Carol: You sleaze comforted him?

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Crazy Credits

During the cast credits the name of the actress playing the librarian suddenly changes from Cheri Glor to Pam Lanham.

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Alternate Versions

Due to music rights issues, Leah High's cover of the Brian Eno song "St. Elmo's Fire" only appears in the USA/Canada Release version of the film. All other releases contain the replacement song "Honest Fool" written by Jordan Lehning and performed by Leah High.

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Soundtracks

No Means No
Written by Jordan Lehning and Eric Lehning
Performed by The Non-Commissioned Officers
Published by Oh No Skippy/Eric Lehning

User Reviews

Slightly creepy, very funny, and perversely engaging little indie

The Deagol Brothers' "Make-Out with Violence" is a stylish, smart, sweet little American indie that is sure to leave the viewer buzzing. This isn't your typical genre film, and the quirky mix of comedy and horror defies description. Films that terrorize with tongue firmly planted in cheek are among my favorites, but "Make-Out with Violence" doesn't even fit that profile.

The film opens with the slightly creepy voice-over of little brother Beetle (scene-stealer Brett Miller), segues to flashbacks shot with a soft, dreamy, oversaturated look, then takes the viewer on a ride through the most perverse summer this group of slightly off-kilter misfits has ever had. The soundtrack is one of the film's strongest elements, mostly the work of composer Jordan Lehning (who also plays lead character Rody). The writing, direction, editing, and production of the film are all the handiwork of a small group of multitalented family members. Even the actors had a hand in the film's creative process. The two brothers at the center of the film (Eric Lehning and Cody DeVos) are also credited as writers, along with the Deagols. The film is shot and edited with such precision that there isn't a single frame of filler. Every word, every camera angle, every visual and sound effect is devoted to advancing the story. The filmmakers certainly made the best use of their low budget -- from all appearances there were no post-production special effects. Everything appears to have been done in-camera. No small feat for a genre film. This is quite an impressive calling card for these first-time feature filmmakers.

Details

Official Sites:

Official MySpace

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 July 2011 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Wendy, Darling

Filming Locations:

Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Limerent Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1